Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

John McDonagh has been appointed acting chief executive officer of Waterways Ireland, the cross-border body for inland waterways accountable to the North South Ministerial Council under the 1998 British-Irish Agreement. McDonagh is an English, history and politics graduate of UCD…

Proposals for a new blueway along the River Barrow have been blocked by planners who objected to the scheme for a hard surface along the 115km of towpath. But as The Irish Times reports, many locals and users of the…

Oscar Wilde’s surgeon dad waxed lyrical about it, Vikings lost their weapons in it, and poitín makers and anglers have shared their knowledge of its rocks and islands. The Corrib – this island’s second largest lake after Lough Neagh –…

The Marine Institute in Oranmore, Co Galway will host an Irish Crayfish Seminar on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 May in response to recent outbreaks of crayfish plague in Ireland’s waterways. A series of talks by invited speakers from across…

Shannonside FM reports that veteran inland waterways campaigner Dr Ian Bath has died aged 90. Beginning in the 1970s, Dr Bath led the charge to revive the Royal Canal between Dublin and the River Shannon as a tourism amenity. Through…

The Church of Ireland in Limerick city will be celebrating the traditions and legacy of Ireland’s inland waterways through story and song with a special free concert at St Mary’s Cathedral from 8pm on Friday 3 May. Radharc na hAbhann…

The winter mooring period ends on Sunday 31 Mar 2019. Thereafter Navigation Bye-law No. 17(3) applies i.e. vessels should not berth in the same harbour for longer than the statutory period of 5 consecutive days nor more than a total…

The Network of Inland Waterways of Europe (NIWE) has launched its new website to celebrate and promote the many and varied benefits of Europe’s canals, lakes and rivers. The NIWE, of which Waterways Ireland is a member, has been involved…

Waterways Ireland advises all users of sightings on the Royal Canal at Ashtown of a large invasive rodent species that is highly damaging to river, lake and canal banks. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the coypu — also known as the…

Waterways Ireland has announced the launch of a walking programme along canal and river routes across Kildare, Carlow and Laois. The aim of the Waterways For Health programme — in conjunction with Get Ireland Walking, and Local Sports Partnerships from…

#InlandWaters - Seán Kyne, Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, has announced a €3.2 million investment by Waterways Ireland infrastructure on the Shannon Navigation at Meelick Weir. The funds will be used for the…

A new heritage group is seeking to preserve traditional net fisheries under threat of disappearing from Ireland’s landscape. The Traditional Net Fishers Steering Group was established earlier this year by “a group of like-minded individuals” who united to examine ways…

A floating food market is one of a number of ideas being mooted for in Grand Canal Dock by Waterways Ireland, the Dublin InQuirer reports. Such a scheme would include a waterfront dining area and a co-working space along with…

Waterways Ireland intends to dispose, by public tender, of a number of vessels removed from the Grand Canal at Shannon Harbour, Tullamore, Barrow Navigation, Killaloe Canal and Shannon Bridge. Twelve vessels are presently stored on the South Bank of the…

#RoyalCanal - Waterways Ireland is advising masters and users of the Royal Canal that due to unprecedented dry weather conditions and low rainfall levels and subsequent low levels in Lough Owel, navigation water levels cannot be guaranteed on certain sections…

Athletics Ireland and Waterways Ireland have announced a new strategic partnership which will seek to promote physical activity on the more than 1,000km of trails and facilities across the Waterways Ireland system. The partnership will see a range of Athletics…